Fire prevention device for airplanes



Oct. 5, 1943. A. A. ERICSON FIRE PREVENTION DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES FiledMarch 16, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 5, 1943. A. A.ERICSON FIRE PREVENTION DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES Filed March 16, 1942gwuwo'b 259405011 Oct. 5, 1943. A. A. ERICSON 2,331,017

FIRE PREVENTION DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES Filed March 16. 1942 3Sheets-Sheet.5

Patented Oct. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIRE PREVENTION DEVICEFOR AIRPLANES Albert A. Ericson, Lindenhurst, N. Y., assignor ofone-fourth to Harry Reynolds, Jr., Rochester, one-fourth to Junius B.Tompkins, Babylon, Long Island, and one-fourth to Charles Vanderveer,J12, Hempstead, Long Island, N. Y.

Application March 16, 1942, Serial N 0. 434,947

1 Claim.

This invention relates 'generally to airplanes, and more especially to afire prevention device for airplanes.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which will positively prevent fire in the event of a crash, bybreaking the battery connections and thereby opening all electricalcircuits, and simultaneously closing specially provided contacts toground out the magnetos and instantly stop the motors.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is simple and economical in construction, highlyefiicient and durable in use and may be easily and readily installed inan airplane,

With the foregoing and other objects in View that will appear as thenature of my invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes onlyand are therefore not drawn to scale:

Figure l is a side elevation, of a fire prevention device, embodying myimprovements.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section, taken through thependulum, circuit making and breaking means and associated parts.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic View, illustrating the ground strip, batteryconnections and circuits.

Figure 4 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the pendulum and the coilsprings for maintaining the latter in normal position for re-set.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view, showing the ball andspring assembly for holding the pendulum in normal position againstcasual displacement, and Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of theend-wise movable shaft disposed in alinement with the pendulum shaft,and associated parts.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of myinvention, and in which drawings like parts are designated by likereference characters throughout the several views. A designates myimproved fire prevention device, as a whole, which is designed to breakthe battery connections and thereby open all electrical circuits, and atthe same time ground out the magnetos and instantly stop the motors inthe event of a crash, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Specifically, the device comprises the pendulum I, supported in the ballsocket 2 and maintained in normal position for re-set, regardless of theposition of the airplane, by the four coil springs 3 or other equivalentmeans. The threaded shaft 4 of the pendulum 1 permits adjustment of thelatter to compensate for the weight of the pendulum.

In carrying out my invention, the inner end 5 of the horizontal pendulumshaft 4 is made hollow to receive the ball 6, which is normally held inengaged relation with the seat 1 formed in the corresponding end of theshaft 8 by the coil tension spring 9. The ball and spring assembly abovedescribed hold the pendulum in normal position against casualdisplacement or any other disturbance except shock. The horizontal shaft8 also serves as connection for the hydraulic re-set device, as willhereinafter appear.

Flexible copper contacts I!) of arcuate form, normally establish contactbetween the binding posts ll of the battery (not shown). The innercentral portions of the contacts 10 bear against the transverse micardabar l2 carried by the horizontal shaft 8, with the ends of said barslidably mounted on the longitudinal supporting rods I3. The bar I2 isnormally held in its outermost position by the shaft 8, but when theball I5 is released from the inner end of the former, by the shockincident to a crash, the bar I2 is moved inwardly or retracted by theaction of the coil springs 14 disposed around the rods I3 and releasesthe contacts I 0. This breaks the battery connections and opens allelectrical circuits, as heretofore stated. At the same time, thecontacts l5 carried by the bar l2 engage the contacts l6 of thestationary transverse ground strip I1, and ground the magnetos.

The hydraulic re-set device, comprises the cylinder 20, mounted on theinstrument panel of the machine or other suitable support, in whichcylinder is arranged the piston 22. The piston 22 is carried bytheplunger 23 connected at its outer end, as at 24, to the manuallyoperated lever 25. One end of the lever 25 is pivotally connected, as at26, by means of the parallel links 21, to the outer end, as 21, of thebearing Post 28. The inner end of the cylinder 20 is provided with theelbow-shaped discharge nipple 29 to which is connected one end of theflexible conduit 30, whose opposite end, as 3|, is connected to thenipple 32 of the cylinder 33. The cylinder 33 is mounted on therectangular supporting plate 34 and receives the piston 35, car- 2f 7 rI 2,331,017

ried by the inner end of the horizontal shaft 8. In practice, when thefree end of the lever 25 is pushed inwardly by the operator, the actionof the hydraulic fluid will bring sufiicient pressure to bear on thepiston 35 to accomplish the 5 re-setting of the device against thetension of the coil springs 1 A.

All terminals are :tobe fitted =for Ereeze patented shields.

In a fire prevention device of the character specified, a pendulumshaft, an adjustable pendulum screwing on the outer end of said shaft, aball socket for the inner end of the pendulum shaft, a second end-wisemovable shaft disposed in alinement with the inner end of the pendu-*lnmrshaft, a;spring pressedbailtcarrie'd by the *free-en-dof the-secondshaft 'for holding the inner end of the pendulum shaft againstcasual 'The entire assembly is enclosed in a hers-TAQLd-isplacement, butpermitting said inner end to metically sealed steel box ,t0 ,pIjeYe Iit,ignitionpf H any inflammables which mightbethrown about in a crash.

From the foregoing description eta-ken int-comtbei-releasedsshould",avcrash occur, a plurality of radially disposedsprings for holding the pendutzlumrinrnormaltposition for re-setregardless of -.i-.therposition of the airplane and a hydraulicrenection With the drawings, it, is thought ithal'i 15 65 1;, idevipefigr the pendulum shaft said re-set the construction,operationang;@d&ntages of my invention will be readily understood;without requiring a, more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and minor details ofconstruction may be resortedto -20 as tand s ine tosecu e-hy-L tters Ptent, .s; 125

- cleyice.,.corn pri sing a'cylinder containing hydraulic fluid, apiston Working in said cylinder, manuz l'y enerated :means for saidpiston, a second pistoncarried by the upper end of the second mentionedshaft, a casing for said second piston and-3a fleXib1e:.CQI1nQQtiQnabetweensthe lower end oi -the cyli,rider.- andthecasing.

